That has to be one of the best, if not the best, description of Clark/Superman I've ever read. I hope you'll give me permission to use it in a story I'm now working on. (I won't use it unless you do.) And if not, I'll certainly understand. It's not easy thinking through these things to come up with such a concise, precise encapsulation of this complex man.
Well, I don't think it's an original thought on my part so go for it.
I love the way you put this: Clark's powers versus Superman's humanity. That's one of the huge reasons this relationship (Lois and Clark) is so popular and has endured since the 1937 Action Comics debut of the caped superhero. These fanfic stories, for the most part, play off the inherent tension of two persons in one body and try to explain why Clark sometimes acts like such a lunkhead and other times he's noble to the point of self-destruction.
This is so true. I think if the truth be know, one of the reasons I've suddenly become interested in pairing the two in a story like this is that lately I've been hearing so many people on the romance forums I'm on talk about how Superman/Clark-type heroes aren't interesting to write because they don't have to struggle with anything.
That is such a crock because Clark is so complex. In a lot of ways he's more complex than the dark brooding heroes, not because he's so good but because he's so powerful.
Here's a contradiction that I've been thinking about a lot lately. Batman is seen as the ultimate brooding loner. Right? Then how come he's also traditionally seen as this philanthropist that surrounds himself with all these "orphans" that he mentors and nurtures, while Superman, the ultimate leader of men, is traditionally seen as someone who has to remain alone and isolated?
I suspect Bruce could've gotten married several times a long time ago in the comics and I doubt anyone would've raised an eyebrow. But how long did it take for it to become acceptable for Clark and Lois, the woman who's always been there with him, to even get involved?
So, who is truly the real loner that has to fight with every breath he takes to have a family? And why? Because people can't see his humanity for his powers . . .
